“I do.” He poked his head back out with a grin full of mirth. Not only were his jeans dirty, but his face was too. “Come over, let me cook for you.”
Why was he being so nice? Did he need a pet project? And really, who in their right mind could resist such an offer? Plus, after all he had done, she couldn’t be rude. So three hours later, she found her feet moving across the damp grass that joined the properties with an apple pie she had bought in town. It wasn’t as good as the one from Shelter Island that she, Pop, Gran, and Lil would get, but it was a close second. Harry caught up quickly once she neared his back door. Chasing bunnies wasn’t more exciting than hamburgers, apparently.
Dahlia lightly knocked on the light aqua door, which was flanked by two large containers of vibrant blue hydrangeas on either side. She took in the aesthetic of the small porch. The modern bench, which hung from the ceiling, was the only piece of furniture aside from the planters. Bruce and Garrett seemed to be more traditional than Lil. If she had to pinpoint their style from the conversations over the years and the minimalist elements of the porch, it would be transitional. They preferred new and tidy, and I’m sure would be appalled by the current state of Lil’s. Her head fell back in relief that they were still in Italy. Then she knocked again. This time a little louder. Nothing. It was at this time that she realized Harry was missing, so she wandered to the back.
“Harry, Harry,” she whispered in a clipped tone as she followed the path to the back, lined with hostas, daisies, and various hues of echinacea. Her pastel chiffon strapless dress billowed in the breeze, hitting some of the colorful stems as she strolled. Dahlia’s smile grew, knowing Daisy would be happy she left the house tonight. But this wasn’t for Daisy, it was for her. She has gotten a taste of what it was like to feel something besides despondency, and she wasn’t going to squander it by staying home for no good reason.
She ducked under the willow on the other side of the path and lifted her head. She covered her smile, which only grew wider by the second. A person needed preparation for such a sight. Lit string lights framed the small patio, a small vase of flowers and votives anchored the sleek teak table, and two wine glasses finished it off. She cocked an eyebrow at the glasses that made this feel like a date, but she knew it wasn’t. It was simply a neighborly get-together. Plus, Noah made it clear from the beginning that he needed a friend, nothing more.
Harry reappeared just as she turned toward the back door. All she could do was shake her head and say, “Stay. I’ll only be a minute.” Dahlia wanted to set the pie inside so it wouldn’t spoil in the heat. Although it had cooled off, the salt air hung motionless, as did the gnats. She swatted a few and stepped up the new mahogany steps. A few more knocks, still no one answered. The door was ajar, so she pushed it open. The blast of air conditioning felt good against her tepid skin. She was still suffering at Lil’s with only fans. She really did need to get those units up from the basement. “Noah, it’s me, Dahlia.”
Still no answer. At this point, she felt like an intruder, so she tiptoed in and set the pie on the sleek white marble surface with veins of brown and gray. That’s when she heard singing and the lyrics to “Born in the USA” coming down the hallway. Peeking around the corner, she saw that the bathroom door was ajar. Then the shower abruptly stopped, and her posture straightened, not wanting to make another sound. She remembered Noah telling her Barry and Garrett had removed all the squeaks and creaks when they remodeled, but with her luck, she’d find that one spot. She closed her eyes, pursed her lips, and took one small step away. A shrilling creak came from the floorboards below, and then, “Dimples, is that you?”.
“Yup, it’s me. Just brought you a pie.” Dying inside, she peeked through her fingers. “I’ll wait outside.” She felt hot and combustible.Just the mere thought of his naked body on the other side of the door made her pulse gallop.
‘No, wait,” he said, moving his highly contoured bare form past the open door. That little glimpse was enough to make an unknown sound, something between a groan and a squeal, spill from her lips. With cheeks that felt like an inferno, she debated what to do. She could wait for him outside and cool down. Or she could be a big girl and stay. She knew he didn’t want anything romantic, but at the same time, Dahlia no longer felt in control. But maybe that was precisely the point.
She inhaled deeply, leaning against the counter, and said, “I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Prepared dishes lined the surface. There was corn salad, white bean salad, burrata, and oysters on the half shell. Bottles of roséand white wine sat next to the elaborate espresso machine, along with an assortment of buns. When did he have time to do all this? A lightness spread over her chest that this was for her.
“There you are.” He came out in a towel tucked at his hip, with wet, messy hair. Beads of water dripped from long lashes and every single burly surface. The desire to lick the single bead that trailed down his corded neck was intense. She watched it disappear down his chest and into his sparse area of hair circling his navel. Who was she? What was happening to her?
Harry’s bark outside the back door woke her from her lust-filled haze, and she tried to recover. “Yup, here I am.” Suddenly, her arms and legs felt awkward, and she didn’t know what to do or say next. Words were trapped in her mouth. He scanned the counter, his hand holding his towel up. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so there are a few choices.”
“Did you make all this?” Dahlia asked shakily, feeling the heat from his body. He was that close. She looked down and saw that thetowel had tented. A possible sign she wasn’t alone in these layered feelings. Perhaps he wanted to be more than just friends after all.
“No, my sister had someone drop it off from her restaurant. I have burgers too, as promised.” He reached for an oyster with a free hand and slurped it down. All she could think was the wordaphrodisiac. He did the same for another, then held out one for her. “You’ve gotta try these, they came from the bay this morning.” Their eyes connected in an innocent but seductive way, and that was all she needed to let him feed her. Her lips grazed his finger, and her body zinged like a pinball machine. That small gesture felt so intimate, more so than any moment with Spence. The briny taste flooded her mouth, along with lemon, thyme, and white wine.
“Wow. That’s delicious.” She covered her mouth as she chewed. “Wait. Isn’t her restaurant on the island? That’s a hike.”
“Yeah, but she’s testing new recipes this week and has a ton of food. The caveat is that she wants our honest opinion.” He took a tortilla chip from a bowl. “These are handmade too. There’s guac in the fridge.”
“Cool.” She said, hoping he wouldn’t feed her again. Although she wanted more, she needed to get her head back on straight. And cool her body down.
After a delicious dinner al fresco and the best burger and conversation she’d had in a long time, they decided to go for a walk on the beach. They cleaned up quickly, putting the food back into the containers and loaded the dishwasher. In just a few short days, this stranger felt more like a partner than the one she had had for the last fifteen years.
They walked the narrow path that connected the two houses down to the water. Noah picked a flower from the many that were growing wild and gently tucked it behind her ear. The sounds were as bright as crickets, and cicadas filled the quiet air. The baylapping the shore echoed over the beach grass. Notes of jasmine and crustations mingled in the air. Noah led the way, letting her know if there was something for her to watch out for. He hopped to the sand first, holding his hand out for her. Her eyes met his, and she wondered why he was single or seemed to be anyway. She didn’t know him all that well, but from what she saw and felt, he was a nurturer who genuinely cared about people.
Noah stopped briefly to cuff his jeans up so he could walk the waterline, and then he did something she never expected. He reached for her hand and slipped his fingers inside hers. Dahlia’s heart somersaulted. There were so many firsts she missed being a young mother with an almost nonexistent dating life. This simple gesture felt like the sun, the moon, and the stars rolled into one.
They strolled hand in hand as the sun set behind the row of houses. It was painted in short strokes of bubblegum pink, magenta, and blue, a palette she’d rarely seen at Lil’s. They continued their conversation about music and movies from dinner. They both agreed that classic artists like Billy Joel, Sting, and The Boss were the OGs and that movies likeJerry MaguireandGood Will Huntingwould always be relatable. To her amazement, he also knew aboutThe Notebook,How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,andTwilight. However, the biggest surprise was that he also watchedDateline. Then it started to feel more personal when the why behind her summer visit piqued his curiosity.
She started with Lil and how, after her fall, Lil came to live with her in Connecticut. The closeness of their relationship and Gran and Pop came up too. Noah mentioned the history he knew from his uncles about the property and her family that settled there. He was genuinely interested, which tickled something deep inside her. There was no mention of Spence. She didn’t know what tonight was, but she wasn’t going to ruin it with stories of exes.There was talk of Lil passing in April, which led her here to sell her house, as well as a highlight reel of the last few days.
“That, in a nutshell, is why I’m here for the summer.” Her feet sank into the cold sand.
“Let me get this straight. You need to find a key that could unlock a secret, fix this house, and sell it all while you’re here?”
“Yup.” She left out the part about moving to Charleston. There was no reason to share. Plus, this was the first real choice that felt like hers since she married Spence. Aside from it scaring the hell out of her, in a good way, it also made her feel like she was finally steering her own ship.
“Yikes. I can see why you’ve been a bit stressed. And you really have no one here.” He kicked the sand. “No one but me, of course.”
God, he was charming. She could feel her cheeks ache from an entire night of smiling.
“There it is, that dimple,” he said, walking backward. “It’s adorable.
The heat traveled to her ears, leaving her unsure what to make of this foreign feeling. On the one hand, she had so much to accomplish, but on the other, she wanted to slow the pace and savor everything. For the first time, she didn’t feel left; she felt found. There was still no mention of her old life or his, what they left behind, or what was on the horizon. She and Noah were in a bubble, one of their choosing. Dahlia paused, looking out onto the water and the neighboring island, fading with the setting sun. She wondered if he was holding back and, if so, why. Dahlia hadn’t looked him up online again after that first night. She wanted things to unravel with time. And if he wanted her to know, he would tell her.
